ITF tournament in Turin

Grabher with opening success against qualifier

Julia Grabher from Vorarlberg started her last tournament before the Olympic Games in Paris successfully on Wednesday. At an ITF tournament in Turin with prize money of 25,000 dollars, the 28-year-old won her opening match against the Italian qualifier Beatrice Ricci 6:2, 7:5.

The 21-year-old is ranked 498th in the world rankings. Grabher has dropped to 317th due to the consequences of the wrist injury she suffered in August 2023.

She is taking part in the Summer Games via her "protected ranking". The match against Ricci Grabher was her seventh or second win after her return to action at the end of March. Her other success came last week at an ITF tournament in Aschaffenburg against a qualifier, before losing 1:6, 0:6 to the German Carolina Kuhl. Grabher will now face another Italian in Turin, her opponent in the round of 16, Sofia Rocchetti, is ranked 399. The Olympic tennis tournament begins on Saturday next week.

US Open
Grabher can make firm plans to compete at the US Open. The entry list shows her with a "protected ranking" of 73. Styrian Sebastian Ofner is listed as number 50 on the men's list. Dominic Thiem is hoping to be a US Open winner in 2020 in his farewell year with a wild card. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are, of course, two other former US Open winners who are not in the main draw. Murray may well have ended his career by then, however, and Wawrinka could still make the cut as the number seven seed.